Patients of Dr. Emmanuel Rivera are looking for answers after learning the New Glasgow-based family physician has been required to reduce his patient load from 4,000 to 1,500.
Rivera sent letters to certain patients advising them they will need a new family doctor.
One such letter, dated Feb. 16, was sent to Alicia DeYoung who has been a patient of Rivera’s for about six years.
The letter states:
“The College of Physicians and Surgeons of Nova Scotia has put restrictions to my license to practice in Nova Scotia. I was mandated to cut the patient load to 1,500. As a result, more than half of my current patient roster of almost 4,000 will be without a family doctor. This is a very difficult decision to make and with a heavy heart, I am releasing you as a patient.”
DeYoung was shocked when she received the letter. She said she has had nothing but good experiences with Rivera, and always found him to be a very caring doctor who made sure to ask if there was anything else he could help her with.
“I just want answers,” DeYoung said. “This letter is all I have and I feel like I lost a sense of security. There’s a lot of unanswered questions.”
As long as he hasn’t done anything wrong, she believes Rivera should be allowed to keep his patient load at what it was.
Attempts to reach Rivera on Feb. 24 were not immediately successful.
According to information published on the College and Physicians website, Rivera is under the following restrictions:
- • Must reduce the size of their general office-based practice to 1,500 patients
- • Must practise under supervision
- • Must not practise inpatient care (hospitalist work)
- • Cannot provide intrapartum obstetrical care
- • Cannot practise in an emergency department or in a collaborative emergency centre
College comments
In response to questions from SaltWire Network, the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Nova Scotia confirmed that Rivera was directed to reduce his practice size.
“This requirement was the result of a registration committee decision the details of which remain confidential as directed by the Medical Act,” said Dr. Gus Grant, registrar and CEO of the College of Physicians and Surgeons. “The College recognizes this is a difficult situation for some of Dr. Rivera’s patients and we would direct them to contact 811. The College did not take this decision lightly and undertook this measure in the interest of patient safety.”
According to a January 2021 report of statistics released by Nova Scotia Health, there were 4,263 people on the wait-list for a family doctor in Pictou County as of Jan. 1 — the equivalent of 9.7 per cent of the population of the county. Provincially, there were 53,303 Nova Scotians without a doctor on Jan. 1, which is equal to 5.4 per cent of the population.
